System, apparatus and method for providing aggregated network connections

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses a network aggregation system, apparatus and method for creating aggregated network connections to provide high availability and increased throughput where the plurality of network connections may possess diverse physical and logical characteristics. Increased throughput on the aggregated network connection equals the sum of the available throughput on the aggregated network connections. Aggregation is performed in a transparent fashion, independent of any physical or logical characteristics of the individual connections. Network connectivity over the aggregated connection is managed such that the loss or gain of connectivity in an individual connection among the aggregated group does not result in the loss of data from the data stream aggregation device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to communications and, inparticular, to aggregating dissimilar communications links such asCable, DSL, T1, or Metro Ethernet.

BACKGROUND

While the capacity of network connections has increased since theintroduction of dial up, high speed connectivity is not ubiquitous inall regions. Even with the addition of various connection options suchas DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and their variants (VDSL, etc) as wellas Cable based broadband, the majority of consumers are unable to usethe theoretical maximum throughput. The inability to achieve theoreticalmaximum throughput from a circuit is a result of the inverselyproportional relationship between throughput and distance over varioustypes of network connections such as Cable, DSL.

Network connection aggregation is a method by which multiple networkconnections are grouped to provide a single logical aggregated networkconnection. This provides higher throughput for network applicationswith the added benefit of high availability/redundancy. Each networkconnection in the aggregate provides a percentage of the bandwidth tothe logical network communication link independent of thecharacteristics (latency, bandwidth capacity, provider and providerarchitecture) of the underlying network communication link.

Although prior ITU recommendations G.998.1 (ATM-based multi-pairbonding) G.998.2 (Ethernet-based multi-pair bonding) and G.998.3(Multi-pair bonding using time-division inverse multiplexing) speak ofvarious bonding techniques applying to DSL links, there is generally nodiscussion regarding an architectural approach to aggregating dissimilarnetwork connections to provide a single (logical) aggregated networkconnection. There are no provisions made for independence from physicaland logical characteristics of the aggregated network connections or forhigh availability and lossless network failure within the aggregatedconnection.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,859 to Bell (“Bell”) teaches the idea of combiningdifferent network connections to provide bi-directional datacommunication technology. The combined cable and DSL modem disclosed byBell employs unidirectional data transmission over the existing cableplant for downstream data communication, and unidirectional DSL datatransmission over the existing wire pairs employed by thetelecommunications network in a single data communications loop. Bellrequires private network connections between an internet serviceprovider and a client side cable and DSL provider. Bell also does notteach splitting sessions and distributing the data packets (i.e.aggregating) over different network connections.

U.S. patent application 20040213386 to Gupta (“Gupta”) discloses acommunications device, method and service that integrate broadband anddial-up internet access. A modem is provided that combines bothbroadband and dial-up connectivity in a single device. The modemincludes an auto-sense procedure for switching between the two types ofconnections. Gupta, however, serves a single connection at any giventime. Gupta does not teach splitting of sessions into data packets anddistribution of data packets over different, aggregated, networkconnections.

U.S. patent application 20080080371 to Liu (“Liu”) teaches amacro-spatial network multiplexing. Liu discloses dividing data from aparticular application to be transmitted over different networkconnections. A communication module can transmit signals to/from aplurality of base stations. In this way a plurality of networkconnections may be leveraged for the client. Liu teaches that packetsformed from the data are transmitted via a first network connection anda second network connection such that the packets transmitted via thefirst network connection do not match the packets transmitted over thesecond network connection, thereby improving bandwidth available to theclient. Liu also teaches that a determination is made as to which of aplurality of network connection devices are to be used to transmit thedata based on one or more considerations. For example the determinationmay be made based on a quality of service (QoS) specified for aparticular data, available bandwidth of network connection, cost, etc.The packets include headers that identify a particular order which maybe used to reorder data included in the packets after transmittal.However, Liu does not disclose bonding having bandwidth aggregation withdiversity. The apparatus of Liu is restricted to directing traffic amongnetworks and allowing traffic to be distributed amongst differentnetworks.

U.S. patent application 20060176900 to Liu (“Liu 2”) discloses ade-centralized architecture for bonding communication links, such asATM-based bonding of DSL lines such as Asymmetric DSL (ADSL), Very highspeed DSL (VDSL), or more generally any DSL (xDSL) lines. Liu 2,however, does not teach aggregating cable, ADSL, T1, wireless or dialup.

U.S. patent application 20080075111 to Feng (“Feng”) discloses a bondingdevice to allow transmission of a single or unified data stream over twoor more different telecommunication links. The two or moretelecommunication links are DSL. Feng does not teach aggregating cableand DSL.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,070 to Krishnan (“Krishnan”) teaches methods andapparatus for achieving high data transmission rates using multiple,simultaneous, parallel connections. Two or more modems are coupled to ahost computer. An operating system component controls the modems eitheras independent communications channels, or for high speed datatransmissions, and “combines,” or “bonds” multiple Public SwitchedTelephone Network-type connections together to create a high speed datalink. This is accomplished by splitting a high speed data stream intomultiple lower speed data streams and transmitting each lower speed datastream via a low speed modem and PSTN connection. Krishnan does notdisclose a method to enable aggregating network connections withdissimilar characteristics and does not disclose a method foraggregating connections using an always-on technique.

Therefore, there remains a need for a connection aggregation technologythat provides enhanced high availability mechanisms coupled with highthroughput while maintaining independence and transparency to theunderlying network connection characteristics whether logical, such aslatency, transport protocol or physical, such as provider architecture,transport mechanism, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for managing the transfer ofcommunication traffic over one or more diverse network connections, theapparatus characterized by: a network aggregation means operable toconfigure the one or more diverse network connections as an aggregatedgroup defining an aggregated connection having a transfer rate definedby an aggregate group transfer rate associated with the availabletransfer rates of the one or more diverse network connections, thenetwork aggregation means being further operable to transfercommunication traffic between a further connection and the aggregatedconnection.

The present invention also provides a method for managing the transferof communication traffic over one or more diverse network connections,the method characterized by the steps of: (a) by means of a networkaggregation device, configuring the one or more diverse networkconnections as an aggregated group thereby defining an aggregatedconnection having a transfer rate defined by an aggregate group transferrate associated with the available transfer rates of the one or morediverse network connections; and (b) transferring communication trafficbetween a further network connection and the aggregated connection.

The present invention further provides a system characterized by: one ormore components configured to manage the transfer of communicationtraffic over one or more diverse network connections, the one or morecomponents defining, including or being linked to a network aggregationmeans operable to configure the one or more diverse network connectionsas an aggregated group defining an aggregated connection having atransfer rate defined by an aggregate group transfer rate associatedwith the available transfer rates of the one or more diverse networkconnections, the network aggregation means being further operable totransfer communication traffic between a further connection and theaggregated connection.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of embodiments of the invention will now be described ingreater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device incorporating aparticular embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device as anaggregation means on the client/CPE side of a network connection.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication device incorporating aparticular embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device as anaggregation means on the server/concentrator side of a networkconnection.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication network incorporating aparticular embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device as anaggregation means on both the client/CPE side and server/concentratorside of a network connection.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of providing redundancy andincreased throughput through a plurality of network connections in anaggregated network connection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a system and architecture for aggregatingmultiple network access connections from similar or diverse carriers tocreate a new aggregated connection that accommodates greater speed andhigh availability characteristics.

The architecture of the present invention is best understood as acentralized architecture for aggregating network connections, broadbandor otherwise. Diverse network connections are aggregated into a virtual(logical) connection that provides higher throughput as well asindependence of the network characteristics of the constituent(physical) network. Aggregation may be performed to a given CustomerPremises Equipment terminal.

For instance, in one example of the implementation of the presentinvention a Metro Ethernet 10 Mbps (E10) link and a T1 (DS1) link areaggregated in accordance with the invention as described below, in orderto provide higher fault tolerance and improved access speeds. Theaggregation of diverse carriers in accordance with the present inventionextends to any broadband network connection including Digital SubscriberLine (DSL) communications links, Data over Cable Service InterfaceSpecification (DOCSIS), Integrated Services Digital Network, Multiprotocol Label Switching, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), andEthernet, etc.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for managing transferof communication traffic over diverse network connections aggregatedinto a single autonomous connection, independent of the variousunderlying network connections. The apparatus may include a networkaggregation device and an aggregation engine. The network aggregationdevice may be adapted to configure a plurality of network connections,which transfers communication traffic between a further networkconnection and the plurality of network connections, as an aggregatedgroup for providing a transfer rate on the further communication link,and to allocate to the aggregate group a rate of transfer equal to thetotal available transfer rate of the underlying networks. Theaggregation engine may be adapted to manage the distribution ofcommunication traffic received both to and from a plurality of networkconnections, establishing newly formed aggregated network connections.The aggregation engine may be implemented in software for execution by aprocessor or in hardware, in a manner that is known to those skilled inthe art.

A plurality of diverse network connections may be aggregated to createan aggregated network connection. The diversity of the networkconnections may be a result of diversity in provider networks due to theusage of different equipment vendors, network architectures/topologies,internal routing protocols, transmission media and even routingpolicies. These diversities may lead to different network connectionswith different latencies and/or jitter on the network connection. Also,variation within transmission paths in a single provider network maylead to latency and/or jitter variations within a network connection.

Latency and jitter typically affect all data communication across thenetwork connection. Latency, as is known to those skilled in the art, isthe round-trip time for a transmission occurring end-to-end on a networkconnection. Jitter, as is known to those skilled in the art, is thevariance in latency on a network connection for the same data flow. Highlatency and jitter typically have a direct and significant impact onapplication performance and bandwidth. Applications such as VOIP, andvideo delivery are typically highly sensitive to jitter and latencyincreases and can degrade as they increase.

Transparent aggregation of a plurality of network connections in anaggregated network connection requires the management of datatransmitted over the aggregated connection by the aggregation engine andreceived from the aggregation traffic termination engine. Transparentaggregation may not require any configuration by a network provider. Theaggregation engine and the aggregation traffic termination engine maymanage data transmission such that the variable path speeds andlatencies on the plurality of network connections do not affect theapplication data transmitted over the aggregated network connection. Thenetwork aggregation engine and the aggregation traffic terminationengine may handle sequencing and segmentation of the data transmittedthrough the aggregated connection to transparently deliver applicationdata through the aggregated connection with minimal possible delay whileensuring the ordered delivery of application data.

The network aggregation engine may provide a newly aggregated networkconnection with a capacity equal to the sum of the configured maximumthroughput of the network connections.

The aggregation engine and an aggregation traffic termination engine(further explained below) may handle the segmentation of packets asrequired in confirmation with architectural specifications such asMaximum Segment Size (MSS) and Maximum Transmission Unit of theunderlying network connections. The network aggregation device may beoperable to handle assignment of sequence identifiers to packetstransmitted through the aggregated network connection for the purpose ofmaintaining the ordering of transmitted data units over the aggregatednetwork connection.

The network connection device may include or be linked to a connectiontermination device, and a plurality of fixed or hot swappabletransceivers for transmitting communication traffic on respective setsof network connections, which may be for the purpose of configuring aplurality of network connections as an aggregated connection or themanagement of multiple aggregated network connections and providingaccess to the aggregated network connection for any networkcommunications traversing the device.

In the present specification, routing protocols or route selectionmechanisms described are intended only to provide an example but not tolimit the scope of the invention in any manner.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device incorporating aparticular embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device actingas a client.

As shown in FIG. 1, the network element/network aggregation device (alsoreferred to in this disclosure simply as the “device” or the “networkaggregation device”) 23 may include (in this particular embodiment shownfor illustration) a network connection termination module 25 that mayfurther include representative transceiver interfaces 14, 15 and 16.Each transceiver interface 14, 15 and 16 may represent an interface to aphysical communication medium through which communications may beestablished to network connections.

A possible implementation of the network aggregation device may use asingle or multiple chassis with slots for multiple network connectiontermination modules and multiple network aggregation engine modules. Themultiple network connection termination modules may be grouped byprotocol specific or medium specific transceiver/interfaces.

The network aggregation engine 11 may handle the configuration of thenetwork aggregation device and all related interactions with externalinputs. A device configuration store 24 may provide persistent datastorage for device configuration information such as a networkaggregation policy.

The network aggregation engine 11 may handle queries from externalsources, such as configuration parameters a network management protocolsuch as Simple Network Management Protocol, for example. The interface10 may be a protocol agent and may provide for communication with aNetwork Management System (NMS) or operator system for configuration ofthe aggregation engine by the definition of an aggregation policy.Control and management information may be transferred between thenetwork aggregation device 23 and the NMS or operator system through theinterface 10 via any available or specifically designated networkconnection 19, 20, 21 and 17 through any transceiver interface 14, 15and 16.

Multiple network connections may be combined to form an aggregatednetwork connection 22, as disclosed in further detail herein. Eachindividual network connection may be configured with a maximumcommunication traffic rate, which could be expressed as a bit rate inbits per second.

The network aggregation engine 11 may be implemented in software forexecution by a processor in the network aggregation device 23, or inhardware such as by means of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) orother integrated circuit, or some combination thereof. The networkaggregation engine 11 may be implemented in a distributed manner bydistributing aggregation engine intelligence to the network connectiontermination module 25, in a manner that is known.

The network aggregation engine 11 may receive traffic from clientnetwork connection device 18 through a network connection 17 providedthrough a transceiver interface 16. The client network connection device18 may be any device including, without limitation, a router, switch, ormedia converter that is capable of providing termination for a single ormultiple client nodes, where nodes are any devices capable of connectingto a network irrespective of protocol or interface specificity. Invarious embodiments, traffic may be received over multiple networkconnections through a single or multiple transceiver interfaces. Thenetwork aggregation engine 11 may accept all traffic from the clientnetwork connection, may provide encapsulation and segmentation servicesfor the traffic for transmission through the aggregated networkconnection 22, and may transmit it over any of the network connections19, 20 and 21 through any of the transceiver interfaces 14, 15 and 16.The network aggregation engine 11 may handle segmentation in a mannerthat avoids the fragmentation of aggregated communication trafficreceived through the client network connection device 18, whentransmission occurs over the aggregated network connection 22 throughany of the network connections 19, 20 and 21, by ensuring that thelength of a packet/frame transmitted over any of the network connections19, 20 and 21 is less than or equal to the configured or detected framelength for the respective connections in the aggregated networkconnection 22.

The network aggregation engine 11 may poll the state of networkconnections 19, 20 and 21, for example as per configured intervalsstored in the device configuration store 24, to ensure that all networkconnections configured in an aggregated group are within configuredacceptable tolerances. If a network connection 19, 20, and 21 exceedsacceptable tolerance values for any of the polled parameters, thenetwork aggregation engine 11 may remove the network connection 19, 20,and 21 from within the aggregated network connection 22 without removingit from the polled network connections list. By leaving the removednetwork connection 19, 20, and 21 in the polled network connection list,the network aggregation engine 11 may aggregate the network connectioninto the aggregated network connection 22 once it has come back withinacceptable tolerance values. This may ensure that a network connectionmay change states between residing in an aggregated network connection22 or not, without the intervention of an external system or input. Thenetwork aggregation engine 11 may handle notifications to all end pointsconfigured within the device configuration store 24 with internal eventssuch as changes in network connection state, threshold violations onconfigured thresholds for any number of configurable variables for anyobject within or connected to the network aggregation device 23. Thenetwork aggregation engine 12 may also handle events such as changes inthe state of a network connection 19, 20, and 21 included in theaggregated connection, changes in latency of a network connectionincluded in the aggregated network connection 22, scheduling changes,event logging, and other events.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication device incorporating aparticular embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device actingas a server/concentrator.

The network aggregation engine 11 may provide access to a networkaggregation policy database 36 which stores configuration informationrelated to the various aggregated network connections that terminate onthe aggregated network connection device 28. The network aggregationtermination device 28 may be implemented in such a manner that eachaggregated network connection defined in the network aggregation policydatabase 36 is handled by its own virtual instance, the use of whichenables termination of each aggregated network connection from multiplecustomer premises equipment (CPE).

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication network incorporating aparticular embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the function ofthe device acting as a client/CPE and server/concentrator.

In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, aggregatednetwork connections 70, 71 and 72 may be built by network aggregationdevices 63, 64 and 65, which terminate to a single aggregated networkconnection termination device 61 through network connections 66 and 68as their endpoint. The aggregated network connection termination device61 may access external communications networks through networkconnections 66 and 68 to access external/remote network resource 69.Access to external communications networks may be provided by theaggregated network connection termination device 61 by using eithernetwork connection 66 or 68 through the use of a routing protocol, suchas Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Open Shortest Path (OSPF), or throughthe use of simpler mechanisms such as load sharing over multiple staticroutes within the communication network 74 that acts as the validnext-hop for the aggregated network connection termination device 61.

Aggregated network connections 70, 71 and 72 may provide access toclient network nodes 67 connected to the network aggregation devices 63,64 and 65 through the aggregated network connections 70, 71 and 72 tocommunications networks 74 accessible by the aggregated networkconnection termination device 61.

A client network node 67 may request data provided by an external/remotenetwork resource 69 accessible through a communication network 74. Thisrequest for the external/remote network resource may be routed over thenetwork connection 73 providing access from the client network node 67over the aggregated network connection 70 to its end point which is theaggregated network connection termination device 61. This may be donethrough the communication network 74 through the network connection 66into the aggregated network connection termination device 61. Any datasent by the external/remote network resource 69 may be routed backthrough the aggregated network connection termination device.

A particular embodiment of this invention may use the Internet as thecommunication network 74 referenced in FIG. 3. However, thecommunication network 74 may alternatively be built by multiplesub-networks created through the use of multiple network aggregationdevices 63, 64 and 65 with aggregated network connection terminationdevice 61 end points through multiple network connections 66 and 68.

The present invention also relates to the provisioning of highavailability over the aggregated network connection by the networkaggregation engine 11. FIG. 4 illustrates a method of providingredundancy and increased throughput through a plurality of networkconnections in an aggregated network connection. The method 90 may beginwith a step of configuring a plurality of network connections 91 throughthe creation of a network aggregation policy to form 92 the aggregatednetwork connection. The aggregated network connection may be initializedas per the network aggregation policy. Control connections may becreated 93 for the plurality of network connections configured as partof the aggregated connection to allow the aggregation engine 11 tomanage the membership of a network connection within the aggregatedconnection. The network aggregation engine 11 may accept packets fortransmission 94 over the aggregated network connection 22. The networkaggregation engine 11 may choose a network connection 95 among the groupof network connections configured 91 in the aggregate in the storedaggregation policy for transmission of the current packet beingtransmitted. The choice of network connection for transmission of thecurrent packet may be specified within the aggregation policy and maytake into account data provided by the control connection built at 94.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a non-responsive networkconnection may be easily detected when using latency and packet loss asa measure. The mechanism for detecting 96 and adapting to 97 the networkconnection change within an aggregated network connection may beimplemented within the data transmission routine in the aggregationengine 11 or as a separate process in parallel to the transmissionroutine in the aggregation engine 11 to allow for further flexibility inprovisioning redundancy within the aggregated network connection.

Since this may occur on a per packet basis as opposed to on a per streambasis, a single non-responsive network connection may not affect theaggregated network connection and may allow data transmission tocontinue regardless of the individual states of network connections solong as a single network connection within the aggregated networkconnection is available for data transmission.

1. An apparatus for managing the transfer of communication traffic overone or more diverse network connections, the apparatus characterized by:a network aggregation means operable to configure the one or morediverse network connections as an aggregated group defining anaggregated connection having a transfer rate defined by an aggregategroup transfer rate associated with the available transfer rates of theone or more diverse network connections, the network aggregation meansbeing further operable to transfer communication traffic between afurther connection and the aggregated connection.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, characterized in that the network aggregation means is operableindependent of the various underlying network connections and is therebyoperable to configure the aggregated connection as a single autonomousconnection.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, characterized in that thenetwork aggregation means further includes: a. an aggregation engineoperable to manage the distribution of the communication trafficreceived both to and from the aggregated connection; and b. aconcentrating means operable to configure and terminate the singleautonomous connection for the purpose of processing and delivery of thecommunication traffic to and from the network aggregation means.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the aggregated connectionhas a communication traffic capacity equal to the sum of the configuredmaximum throughput of the one or more diverse network connections. 5.The apparatus of claim 1 characterized in that no configuration by anetwork provider is required for aggregation of a network connectioninto the aggregated network connection.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1characterized in that the plurality of network connections used tocreate the aggregated connection may be comprised of any broadbandnetwork connection such as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) communicationslinks, Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS),Integrated Services Digital Network, Multi protocol Label Switching,Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and Ethernet, etc.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 1, characterized in that the network aggregation means isimplemented using hardware components, software components, or acombination thereof.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, characterized in thatthe network aggregation engine configures the aggregated connection suchthat the aggregated connection is redefined when one or more of thediverse connections has characteristics that change from being within anacceptable tolerance to exceeding the acceptable tolerance or hascharacteristics that change from being outside the acceptable toleranceto coming within the acceptable tolerance.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8,characterized in that the aggregated connection enables the transfer ofcommunication traffic to the further network connection as long as oneof the one or more diverse network connections is available.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 8, characterized in that the throughput of theaggregated connection is redefined based upon the throughput of theavailable diverse network connections
 11. The apparatus of claim 8,characterized in that the network aggregation means is operable toredefine the aggregated connection without any loss of communicationtraffic.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, characterized in that thecommunication traffic includes existing real-time applications sessionssuch as voice, video, or data traffic.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11,characterized in that connection specific parameters are not required.14. The apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the aggregationengine and the aggregation traffic termination engine handlesegmentation of packets defined by a communications transfer protocol.15. The apparatus of claim 14, characterized in that the communicationstransfer protocol is a transfer control protocol/internet protocol. 16.The apparatus of claim 15, characterized in that the network aggregationmeans assigns a sequence identifier to each packet transmitted throughthe aggregated connection to maintain the ordering of communicationtraffic units over the aggregated connection.
 17. A method for managingthe transfer of communication traffic over one or more diverse networkconnections, the method characterized by the steps of: (a) by means of anetwork aggregation device, configuring the one or more diverse networkconnections as an aggregated group thereby defining an aggregatedconnection having a transfer rate defined by an aggregate group transferrate associated with the available transfer rates of the one or morediverse network connections; and (b) transferring communication trafficbetween a further network connection and the aggregated connection. 18.The method of claim 17, characterized in that the network aggregationmeans is operable independent of the various underlying networkconnections, the method comprising the further step of configuring theaggregated connection as a single autonomous connection.
 19. The methodof claim 17, characterized by the further step of selectivelyconfiguring or terminating the single autonomous connection for thepurpose of processing and delivery of the communication traffic to andfrom the network aggregation means.
 20. The method of claim 17characterized in that the method enables autonomous aggregation fornetwork connections independent of the characteristics of the networkconnections such as latency, jitter and architecture.
 21. A systemcharacterized by: one or more components configured to manage thetransfer of communication traffic over one or more diverse networkconnections, the one or more components defining, including or beinglinked to a network aggregation means operable to configure the one ormore diverse network connections as an aggregated group defining anaggregated connection having a transfer rate defined by an aggregategroup transfer rate associated with the available transfer rates of theone or more diverse network connections, the network aggregation meansbeing further operable to transfer communication traffic between afurther connection and the aggregated connection.